EP2720325B1 - Switchable socket - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a switchable socket for flush mounting, which has at least one support frame for attachment in a flush-mounted box, held by this, in the installation direction behind chassis and contacts for the voltage input and output, the socket has a structural plane of symmetry and the chassis a printed circuit board is arranged, which carries an electrically controllable switching element and associated control electronics, and wherein the at least one electrically controllable switching element is located next to the chassis so that the electrically controllable switching element or the switching elements and circuit board to fill the standardized according to the standard 49449 space. The EP 1 085 630 B1 and the DE 94 09 328 U1 each show a socket with these features.

Such a socket often also has a grounding contact or protective contact and is then referred to as a protective contact socket, which is subject to the standard DIN 49440. It is assumed that a voltage of 220 V to 240 V at 50 Hz is available on an L-conductor. The sockets are, as well as the appropriate plugs and extension cables, designed in the household area to a short-term high current load. For the continuous load significantly lower currents are common. The earthing contact connection in the Federal Republic of Germany is not reverse polarity protected, therefore the neutral conductor (N conductor) could also carry the voltage.

The standard DIN 49440 also sets largely the dimensions of the socket firmly. For example, because of the electrical contact resistance, the pins of a

Safety plug with a certain minimum length plugged into the socket chassis. As a result, the distance from the chassis to the flush-mounted box and the insertion depth of the plug in the cover of the socket are clearly defined, they must not be changed. If the dimensions are changed, the safety of the earthing contact socket is no longer guaranteed, so that their approval is lost.

In the generally used in building installation technology sockets in walls the socket provided in the socket are normally constantly energized. There is therefore a primary risk that in particular children with wires or nails can get into these contact sockets, and they are exposed under certain circumstances considerable dangers.

Manually switchable sockets have long been known, an example shows the DE 11 15 335 B , Another example, in which a flat-built switch module is used to interrupt an L-conductor to be connected, is in the already mentioned EP 1 085 630 B1 specified.

It is also known from the US 6,069,561 a space-saving constructed light control device. The DE 20 2006 006 105 U1 describes a lighting device in which the voltage is picked up automatically by placing a central cover. A flush-mounted radio is in the EP 2 093 852 A1 disclosed. The US 2009/0098754 A1 deals with a socket that only energizes when a plug is inserted correctly against the resistance of a spring in a contact element.

In the course of modern building system technology, it is desirable to switch sockets from a central location. Of course, manual switches are not suitable for this purpose.

The DE 93 12 528 U1 proposes to arrange at the base of a socket a semiconductor switch made of silicon carbide, at the control electrodes, a drive circuit is arranged. Also, a Busankoppeleinrichtung is provided on the control electrodes, which is to be held together with the semiconductor switch in stack execution under the socket base.

With this arrangement, therefore, the standard DIN 49440 would be violated.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a switchable socket of the type mentioned, which is standard compliant and also withstands the required current load.

This object is achieved by a switchable socket according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the printed circuit board has, for each electrically controllable switching element, a recess into which the respective electrically controllable switching element with its contact side perpendicular to the printed circuit board is to be used to bring edge-side contacts of the electrically controllable switching element to the printed circuit board and to be soldered there in that each electrically controllable switching element is provided on its contact side with a sub-board which electrically connects at least two further contacts of the electrically controllable switching element.

For the invention come as electrically controllable switching elements fundamentally relays in question, in which a low drive power associated with maximum space density in the smallest design or small relay dimensions. Such miniature power relay for installation in printed circuits are offered by several manufacturers and have cuboidal body with dimensions of z. B. 29 mm x 13 mm x 16.5 mm for a current of 16 A to be switched, the contacting being done by contact pins, which are arranged in the edge regions of a single surface, the contact side, the cuboid body and projecting from this by default, so that the soldering on a circuit board or board are made easily can.

In this case, even a redundant design is possible, in which both in the circuit of the L-conductor and in the circuit of the N-conductor, an electrically controllable switching element is connected.

In order to optimally use the space, two such electrically controllable switching elements are used, but they are placed so to speak vertically, so that their pins do not point to the circuit board, but are initially perpendicular to free.

It is advantageous if z. B. the relays are arranged as switching elements at an angle of about 40 ° to 50 °, preferably 45 °, to the structural plane of symmetry of the socket.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the circuit board has a communication device for signal and / or data transmission to external components or modules and for signal and / or data reception of these. The communication device can operate, for example, by means of infrared, so that the circuit of the socket can be made via an attachment.

Figur 1

eine Draufsicht auf eine Steckdose;

Figur 2

eine Seitenansicht der Steckdose gemäß Figur 1

Figur 3

eine Draufsicht auf die Steckdose, wobei die Bereiche markiert sind, die wegen einer bestehenden Konstruktion bzw. der zu befolgenden Norm als Bauraum nicht zur Verfügung stehen;

Figur 4

eine entsprechende Seitenansicht der Steckdose;

Figur 5

eine Schnittdarstellung in der Symmetriebene einer Steckdose, aus der die mögliche Integration eines 16 A Relais hervorgeht;

Figur 6

eine perspektivische Draufsicht auf eine Steckdose mit einer Variante der Integration eines 16 A Relais;

Figur 7

eine perspektivische Draufsicht auf eine Steckdose gemäß einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung, bei der zwei 10 A Relais verwendet werden;

Figur 8

eine Darstellung des für diese Ausführungsform zu verändernden Chassis;

Figur 9

eine perspektivische Draufsicht auf eine Steckdose gemäß einer weiteren bevorzugten Ausführungsform der Erfindung unter Verwendung von zwei 10 A Relais;

Figur 10

eine perspektivische Schnittansicht einer besonders bevorzugten Ausführungsform der Erfindung unter Verwendung von zwei 10 A Relais;

Figur 11

eine Explosionsansicht der Steckdose gemäß der Ausführungsform nach Figur 10;

Figur 12

eine detailliertere perspektivische Darstellung einer Leiterplatte für die Ausführungsform nach Figur 10;

Figur 13

eine perspektivische Ansicht der fertig bestückten Leiterplatte von vorn;

Figur 14

eine perspektivische Ansicht der bestückten Leiterplatte von der Rückseite her;

Figur 15

die Spannungsführung der perspektivischen Leiterplatte; und

Figur 16

eine perspektivische Schnittansicht, welche die Befestigung der Leiterplatte am Chassis zeigt.

In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this case, possible implementations are represented by means of relays as electrically controllable switching elements. Other implementations with analog or digital electrically controllable switching elements are within the scope of the invention. It shows:

FIG. 1

a plan view of a socket;

FIG. 2

a side view of the socket according to FIG. 1

FIG. 3

a plan view of the socket, the areas are marked, which are not available because of an existing construction or the standard to be followed as a construction space;

FIG. 4

a corresponding side view of the socket;

FIG. 5

a sectional view in the symmetry of a socket, showing the possible integration of a 16 A relay;

FIG. 6

a top perspective view of a socket with a variant of the integration of a 16 A relay;

FIG. 7

a top perspective view of a socket according to an embodiment of the invention, in which two 10 A relays are used;

FIG. 8

a representation of the chassis to be modified for this embodiment;

FIG. 9

a top perspective view of a socket according to another preferred embodiment of the invention using two 10 A relay;

FIG. 10

a sectional perspective view of a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention using two 10 A relay;

FIG. 11

an exploded view of the socket according to the embodiment according to FIG. 10 ;

FIG. 12

a more detailed perspective view of a circuit board for the embodiment according to FIG. 10 ;

FIG. 13

a perspective view of the finished printed circuit board from the front;

FIG. 14

a perspective view of the assembled printed circuit board from the back side;

FIG. 15

the tension of the perspective printed circuit board; and

FIG. 16

a sectional perspective view showing the attachment of the circuit board to the chassis.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an electrical installation device in the form of a protective contact socket having in known manner a support frame 10 made of a metallic material, which has two connecting webs - one, designated 12, in the side view of FIG. 2 see - who are diametrically opposed, a chassis 20, also referred to as a pedestal holds. Anchoring in a flush-mounted box held in a wall is done with the help of spreading claws 16 - in FIG. 2 only one is shown - which can be pressed apart with the aid of setscrews 18, 18 '. Other types of attachment, eg. B. by means of screws are also possible. On the chassis 20 on the support frame 10 side facing a grounding contact 26 is arranged, which cooperates in a known manner with parts of the inserted into the socket, not shown plug and projects with its free ends 26 'on the support frame 10. The cooperating with the connector pins of the connector contact sockets 22, 24 are recessed in the usual manner on both sides of the ground contact 26 in the chassis 20. The center of the grounding contact 26 penetrating bore 28 serves to receive the threaded shaft of a screw with which a front cover, not shown in the drawings, can be fixed to the socket. The invention is equally applicable to sockets Application that have no such grounding contact. The chassis 20 further has a respective spring or screw contact for the connection of an L-conductor and an N-conductor, which in the sake of simplicity FIG. 1 are denoted by L and N.

The standard DIN 49440 for two-pole sockets with DC 10A 250V, AC 16A 250V protective contact for installation in appliance boxes, together with restrictions due to the existing design, determines the available installation space.

FIG. 3 shows in synopsis with FIG. 4 the usable or unusable areas of the socket, wherein in the FIG. 3 the unusable space is hatched and overdrawn. It follows from the consideration of the FIG. 3 in that substantial installation space is available only next to the chassis 20 on both sides of the grounding contact 26. According to FIG. 4 the usable space is limited on the one hand by the flush-mounted box 100, on the other hand, it must also be ensured that a plug can be guided by the standard support frame 10. The standard specifies the maximum depth of the flush-mounted box 100 with 32 mm. This means that in addition to the chassis 20, a usable height of a maximum of 21 mm is available. It can be seen that between the chassis 20 and flush-mounted box 100 also remains a free space that can be installed. Also, the space under the ground contact 26 can be partially used.

If now a 16A relay to be installed, there are two possibilities, which in the FIGS. 5 and 6 are illustrated. In the first variant according to FIG. 5 For example, the 16A relay R16 is placed below the ground contact 26 adjacent to the chassis 20 with the contact pins of the relay R16 facing the support frame 10. There remains enough space for the circuit board with the control electronics (not shown). However, given the dimensions of today's commercially available 16A relays, the depth of the flush-mounted box 100, which is limited to 32 mm, is exceeded by at least 8 mm. Although the remaining construction of the existing outlet can be substantially maintained, for. B. the support ring 10 and the grounding contact 26, this solution is in view of the existing standard DIN 49440 because of Exceeding the installation space not desirable. It only comes into consideration when it is possible to produce the so powerful relay in an even more compact design.

According to the second variant, in FIG. 6 is shown, the 16A relay R16 next to the chassis 20 is arranged so that there is no exceeding of the installation space. With the required circuit board for contacting the relay R16, which is to be obstructed because of the groundbreaking of the support frame 10 pins under the relay R16 and should also accommodate the control electronics, the spatial situation in the depth is nevertheless cramped. Moreover, the existing construction of the earthing contact 26 has to be completely reworked, since a free end 26 'must, as it were, be guided past the relay R16. This variant is therefore unsatisfactory in view of the existing relay technology.

Because of these shortcomings in the use of today's high-performance relay, the present invention therefore advantageous to the idea to use low-power relay, such as 10A relay use. For reasons of redundancy, it is even desirable to use two such relays, for the L-conductor and for the N-conductor, so that there is no inadvertent voltage in the socket when wiring faults occur.

An embodiment of the invention employing two 10A relays R10 is in FIG FIG. 7 shown. In the plan view of the socket it can be seen that each one relay R10 is arranged on each side of the grounding contact 26 adjacent to the chassis 20. The board is located under the chassis 20 in the remaining space between the chassis 20 and flush box 100 ( FIG. 4 ). The location and position of the relays R10 are selected to minimize the need for changes to the chassis 20; in the embodiment shown here, they are placed at 45 ° to the grounding contact 26 with respect to the plane of symmetry S of the receptacle. In this position, the chassis 20 would have to be in the region A of the connection to the support frame 10 (see the illustration to the Figures 1 and 2 ), with the risk of weakening A of this range, so that it would no longer have sufficient stability. FIG. 8 illustrates this Weakening caused by a relocation of the connection z. B. in the direction of arrow P, can be met. For clarity, only one of the relays R10 is shown in phantom.

With the invention, the short length of the low-power relay R10 can now be exploited to bring them vertically into a building position in which the contact side of the relay R10 to the chassis 20 has. This situation is in FIG. 9 shown. The available space is utilized so that no impairment of the mechanical strength of the chassis 20 is expected. The socket is shown with partially broken support frame 10, so that the arrangement of the relay R10 or in the flush box 100 still available space can be seen better. The relays R10 are disposed on both sides of the ground contact 26 adjacent to the chassis 20. It turns out that no components of the socket must be processed and that the area of the connection of the chassis 20 is not endangered to the support frame.

An embodiment of the invention, in which the space is used even better, is in the sectional view of FIG. 10 shown. The two relays R10 are in turn arranged on both sides of the grounding contact 26 next to the chassis, but now at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the axis of symmetry S of the socket. The contact sides of the relays R10 in turn point towards the chassis 20, so that a special contact is required, which in the following in connection with the embodiment according to FIG. 9 is described. In principle, however, the following embodiments also apply to the variant according to FIG. 9 and for other variants where vertical relays are used.

FIG. 11 shows an exploded view of the switchable socket according to the invention according to the embodiment of the FIG. 10 that meets the standard DIN 49440. The support frame 10 with connecting webs 12 and spreader claws 16 has remained unchanged, as well as the ground contact 26 and the terminal contacts 30 for the voltage output. The chassis 20 has undergone a change in that it now has cover areas 32, 32 ', below which lie in the assembled state located on a circuit board 40 relay R10. Otherwise, the chassis 20 is fixed as usual on the support frame 10, the circuit board with the relay is inserted and the arrangement protected with a cover cap 50. A protective cover 34 for the terminal contacts 30 is adapted.

FIG. 12 shows the partially populated circuit board 40 in a perspective view from above. The circuit board 40 is adapted in its basic form to the bottom of a flush-mounted box and has in two of its corner regions recesses 42, 42 ', in the later the relay R10 are used. The circuit board is already with the required contact paths, z. B. 44, 44 'provided. An assembly region 46 is provided between the recesses 42, 42 'and protruding into the region of the contact paths. In this mounting area 46, an electronic control system is constructed, which controls the relay R10, but may also have a bus coupling and other electronics when it is intended to a remote control. In assembly area 46, a component height of maximum 3.5 mm must be observed. The contact tracks 44, 44 'each lead to a contact spring 48, 48', which are assembled in an assembly process by hand and then attached and contacted by wave soldering. Furthermore, also by hand, screw contacts L, N are applied and soldered, in which the L-conductor or N-conductor of a network connection are to be introduced.

The finished equip circuit board 40 is in FIG. 13 shown. Each relay R10 is provided at its contact side for two of its contact pins with a contact, which is soldered as a sub-board 60 in advance. Now equipped with the sub-circuit board 60 relay R10 are placed in the respective recesses 42, 42 ', so that two of their contacts with the bottom of the circuit board 40 can be soldered. Finally, the transition from the sub-board 60 of the relay R10 to the circuit board 40 is also created by soldering.

FIG. 14 shows the circuit board 40 of FIG. 13 from the back. In this structure is exploited that all contacts of the relay R10 are located in the edge region of the contact side, so that the two control contacts, z. B. 52, 52 'of them with the Underside of the circuit board 40 can be soldered securely and fixing when the relay R10 sit in their respective recesses 42, 42 '. This will result in a further assembly area for the control electronics, in which a component height of at least 1.5 mm is possible. The wiring of the control contacts 52, 52 'is not shown in the figure. As a circuit board 40, a conventional circuit board FR4 of 1.6 mm thickness is used.

Although this embodiment requires a relatively complex assembly process, on the other hand it fulfills all requirements, in particular with regard to existing standards.

The voltage lead in the described embodiment results from FIG. 15 , The left-hand illustration shows a plan view of the assembled printed circuit board 40, the right-hand representation shows a plan view of the rear side. At the screw contacts L, N L-conductor and N-conductor are placed on the network side until they abut against the contact springs 48, 48 ', so that the conductors in contact with the running on the front and back contact tracks 44, 44' and. 54, 54 'are. The contact paths are separated by an inset in the circuit board 40 insulating ring 58. The contact tracks 54, 54 'are then passed through the circuit board 40 on the front side and contacted with the respective relay R10, so that this can perform its switching function.

A fully assembled switchable socket according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in a sectional view in FIG FIG. 16 shown. The mounting of the circuit board 40 is carried out with the Verdrehlasche 27 of the grounding contact 26. A cover cap 50 is secured with snap hooks 52 on the chassis 20 and can support via support ribs (not shown), the circuit board 40 additionally held in position. The socket is closed with a cover 70 in which an access opening (not shown) may be provided to the passage z. B. of infrared rays, by means of which the circuit of the socket takes place. On the circuit board 40 to a corresponding transmitter / receiver is arranged, which provides the communication along with an associated control.

The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description, in the drawings and in the claims may be essential to the realization of the invention both individually and in any combination.

Claims (5)

1. Switchable socket for flush mounting, comprising at least one support frame (10) for mounting in a flush-mounted box, and a chassis (20) held by and lying behind the support frame (10) in mounting direction, and contacts for voltage input and output, wherein said socket having a structural symmetry plane (S), and wherein a circuit board (40) is arranged at said chassis (20), the circuit board (40) carrying at least one electrically controllable switching element (R16, R10) and associated control electronics, and wherein the at least one electrically controllable switching element (R16, R10) is located adjacent to the chassis (20), so that the electrically controllable switching element or the switching elements (R16, R10) and the circuit board (40) fill the standardized space corresponding to the standard DIN 49440,
   characterized in that the circuit board (40) comprises a recess for each of the electrically controllable switching elements (R16, R10), in which the respective electrically controllable switching element (R10) is to be inserted with its contact side perpendicular to the circuit board (40), so that contacts of the electrically controllable switching element (R10) situated at its side are to be installed and to be soldered at the circuit board (40), so that each of the electrically controllable switching elements (R10) is at its contact side equipped with a partial circuit board (60), which at least electrically connects two further contacts of the electrically controllable switching element (R10).
2. Switchable socket according to claim 1, characterized in that two electrically controllable switching elements (R10) are provided, wherein one is associated to an outer conductor and one is associated to a neutral conductor.
3. Switchable socket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrically controllable switching element (R16, R10) is a relay.
4. Switchable socket according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit board (40) comprises a communication device for signal and/or data transmission or reception to or from external components or modules.
5. Switchable socket according to claim 4, characterized in that the communication device works with infrared.

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